The world’s attention is fixed on the Alaska Summit, where US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will meet behind closed doors on Friday. Putin, the typically composed leader known for his sharp, measured remarks, will command attention as always. But it’s Trump who has observers on edge. The unpredictable, self-promoting president often strays from his stated agenda when meeting global leaders. History is full of instances where Trump’s meetings with key world leaders have ended in failure.
One of the most notorious was his White House encounter with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which nearly devolved into a verbal clash on the global stage. His summit with another unpredictable leader, Kim Jong Un, also proved to be a diplomatic flop.
Now, as Trump is set to meet Putin this Friday in America’s biggest, coldest state, the political chill is sharper than the Alaskan air. The meeting with Putin comes at a time of heightened global tension, with Washington and Moscow already at odds over Ukraine.
The world, especially the US’ Western allies — the European Union and the UK — are seemingly anxious about where this conversation could lead. Trump will reportedly debrief Ukraine and the European Union after his meeting with Putin, according to British daily The Guardian. Here are three key reasons why the Trump-Putin meeting has the world on edge:
1. TRUMP’S HISTORY OF SIDING WITH PUTIN
In 2018, during their Helsinki Summit, Donald Trump met privately with Vladimir Putin for over two hours, with only interpreters present. What followed remains one of the most controversial moments of his presidency.
Standing beside Putin at a joint press conference, Trump publicly cast doubt on US intelligence findings that Russia had interfered in the 2016 presidential election.
Instead, he said he saw “no reason why” Russia would be involved, effectively siding with Putin over the assessments of the CIA, FBI, and NSA.
The statement triggered bipartisan outrage in the US, with even some Republican leaders calling it a disgrace.
For many in Washington, the incident reinforced perceptions that Trump harbours a peculiar admiration for Putin, often appearing more trusting of the Russian leader than of his own security apparatus. This track record is why US domestic circles are deeply uneasy about another one-on-one meeting between the two.
2. TRUMP’S NOBEL DREAM RISKS REWARDING RUSSIA
One of the most contentious possibilities on the table is a “land swap” in Ukraine, a proposal that could see Trump backing terms which reward Russia’s invasion by ceding occupied territories, bypassing both Kyiv and key European allies.
Trump’s fixation on securing a legacy-defining “deal” with Putin is fuelled by many frustrations. The war continues to grind on despite his earlier boasts of being able to end it swiftly.
Neither Moscow nor Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have shown any willingness to concede. This comes amid the fact that Trump is not even subtle about his greed for the Nobel Peace Prize, a goal that appears to be shaping his diplomatic posture.
Trump’s impatience and potential for reckless concessions, with little oversight, risk tilting toward Russia and undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty.
If this happens, it could destabilise NATO unity and weaken Western credibility.
3. RUSSIA’S ARCTIC DEALS COULD SPLIT THE WEST
Russia, in February, offered the Trump administration a deal granting US access to Russian natural resources and joint projects in the Arctic, a move that could sideline the EU and the UK, deepening rifts within the Western alliance, according to The Kyiv Independent.
The proposal was reported by The Moscow Times on February 18, citing Kirill Dmitriev, a member of the Russian delegation, during the talks in Saudi Arabia.
In Riyadh, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the highest-level contact between the two nations since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Discussions reportedly included energy cooperation, with Moscow suggesting that American oil companies could return to Russia and join Arctic ventures.
Dmitriev claimed US firms had once run “very successful businesses” in the country and could regain access if relations improve.
The offer came as Kyiv rejected a US-proposed memorandum on Ukraine’s natural resources, arguing it lacked concrete security guarantees. Zelenskyy had said Ukraine was open to investment but needs stronger terms.
Moscow’s pitch also includes expectations that Washington will unfreeze Russian state assets, valued at about $6 billion in the US, and potentially ease sanctions – conditions Rubio hinted could be considered in a broader peace process.
For European allies, however, such a deal raises fears of US-Russia cooperation at their expense, potentially fracturing the united sanctions front and giving Moscow a strategic foothold in the resource-rich Arctic.
If Trump takes the Russian bait, viewing it through his “everything is a deal” lens, it could deliver a serious blow to the West’s united front against Moscow.
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